Gitiano Takes The Million Mile In Style

Gitiano Takes The Million Mile In Style

Under outstanding warm winter weather and blue skies, the KZN Breeders Race Day went off with great success – for the first time in the country a race day of this magnitude and stakes provided in excess of almost R2,5 million by an initiative of a provincial breeding club.

The KZN Breeders held a race day dedicated to horses registered with the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme and saw the second running of the KZN Breeders Million Mile – as well as the KZN Breeders Series of seven races for stakes of R200 000 each – which saw an overall stake of almost R2,5 million won by owners of KZN-breds on a single day.

The quality of each field on the day was second to none and yielded surprising results overall – and a fantastic advert for KZN Breeding!

The race meeting was scheduled to be run at Greyville as it was last year, but due to rain during the week and impending VodacomDurban July it was decided to relocate the meeting to Clairwood on Thursday. Over 200 owners and trainers filled the Panoramique room, and over 200 of the KZN Breeders and their guests attended a luncheon held in the Steward’s Classic Room where an outstanding afternoon was had, with the theme of ‘My Fair Lady’.

As a thank you for the supporting the breeders of KZN-bred horses, the winning connections of the horses on the day also recieved vouchers to the value of R10 000 for the winner to use against the purchase of a KZN-bred yearling at the Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale this week, and the first three placings each took a R5 000 voucher for the same purpose. The winning connections of the Million Mile will take home a voucher for R20 000, and the placings R10 000 each.

The KZN Breeders Million Mile attracted a powerful field including Gr 1 SA Classic winner Love Struck and Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas winner Festival Of Fire (both by Kahal), Gr 2 placed Corredor (Cataloochee), multiple Group placed Daylami filly Kalami, and the ever consistent Cookie Monster (Kahal) amongst them.

While King Neptune had his broken bridle replaced at the start, the race was uneventful with the field following the same route as the other races around the turn by steering off the unfavourable inside rail going. Distinguished broke smartly and led for much of the race and was tracked by Love Struck and King Neptune, ahead of Festival Of Fire and King Of Torts. Gitiano was well back early. Into the straight they came towards the outside rail as King Neptune moved up to challenge Distinguished. Stuart Randolph produced Gitiano at the 300m and the chestnut ran on best at 9 to 1 to win from a flying Corredor, while Coy Boy powered into third place – a son of Bezrin who is trained by Des Egdes and runs off an 81 merit rating.

The winner Gitiano is by Summerhill’s young Machiavellian sire Mullins Bay, out of Jet Master mare Poppy Elizabeth – making him quite the KZN-bred as Jet Master is! Trained by Alec Laird, he was bred by Valjub CC, Gitiano is owned by Mr E & Mrs G Baisero – Nicola and Marc Coppez represented them for the day which was fitting as their Balmoral Stud pre-trained Gitiano. He recently placed third behind Love Struck in the Gr 1 SA Classic, and fourth in the KRA Gr 2 Guineas. Gitiano has now won four races with four places from just 13 starts and takes his stake earnings to R1 031 750. Congratulations to the connections concerned who also took home a voucher towards the purchase of a KZN-bred yearling to the value of R20 000.

The first of the KZN Breeders Series races to be run began from the third race (The Fort Stud KZN Breeders Juvenile Plate over 1450m) saw King’s Bay, a talented two year old colt by King Of Kings bred by Sugar Hill Stud and Bruce Campbell win the single race for Two year olds for a stake of R200 000. Owned by Messrs K Moodley, Douglas Campbell, D J Hawkins and K Ramanah, the colt is a pure KZN-bred being out of Russian Revival mare Rose Bay and a winner of the Sentinel Stakes previously. Van Der Scaler (Stronghold), Peter Culture (St Petersburg) and Buffalo Bill (Stronghold) placed second, third and fourth respectively.

The second race of the series, the Midlands Thoroughbreds KZN Breeders 1200 for Fillies and Mares, (changed to 1450m due to change of track), was a one-two for Backworth-breds Variometer (by Var) and Dazzle (Muhtafal) who interestingly are both out of the same mare – Lady Electric(AUS). Joyful Spirit (by Daylami) finished third while Preamble (by Miesque’s Approval) finished fourth). Variometer has won two Listed races including the Ruffian and Gardenia Handicap, as well as being Group Placed – is owned by Messrs P Lee Chung, D Badal, G M Chetty, C M Comaroff, C C Klopper & B K Parker & Ms L L Watt and trained by Louis Goosen.

The Kinmount Stud KZN Breeders 1200 for Horses saw Avalon Stud’s Panama Man (by Miesque’s Approval) take home the race from another quality field from Gr 3 placed Showmetheway (Muhtafal), Kingston Boy (Mogok) and Coffee Sheik (The Sheik) who placed in the Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint. Panama Man, a half-brother to top racemare Texan Summer, is owned by Messrs Mayesh Chetty, Y Naidoo, K Singh and Mr J and Mrs N Deokynarain and trained by Dennis Drier.

Race six, the Roski Stud KZN Breeders 1900, saw Shadwell-bred Injaazaat (Muhtafal) take home the victory from Bush-Hill bred Qahal’s Applause (Kahal), Dirtydealin Mamma (Miesque’s Approval) and Putinka (Eyeofthetiger). This field also included Dance Alley, a Jam Alley half-sister to Dancewiththedevil and Las Ramblas. Trained by a very happy Michael Roberts, Injaazaat is owned by Mr Anil Sewchuran.

Race seven of the series, the Backworth Stud KZN Breeders 1900 for horses, was taken home by Kahal’s Selborne Supremacy, bred by Summerhill Stud. Joshua’s Crown (Joshua Dancer) ran second with Snappy Lad (Mogok) and King Jace (King Of Kings) finishing third and fourth respectively. Trained by Sean Tarry, Selborne Supremacy is owned by Mr Chris Van Niekerk.

Zimbabwe’s top rated two year old Newton Power, who made a smashing 12-length eye opening debut last year, won the seventh race (the Middlefield Stud KZN Breeders 1600 for horses) by a nose from another top King Of Kings gelding Reign Victorious – it was a first and second for breeders Warwick and Karin Render of Bush Hill Stud – they also stand the mare Lee Danzig who is the dam of Reign Victorious (bred by Stormquest CC). Newton Power is by Newton out of Slew The Red mare Red Spirit. Trained by J A Janse van Vuuren, he is owned by Messrs G P and K M Mansour, J M Eaton, G M Littleford, S H Murray and V C Veeramootoo and Mr and Mrs P C Rugg.

The last race to complete the inaugural KZN Breeders Series was the Summerhill Stud KZN Breeders 1600 for fillies and mares which saw a double for the owner and sponsors/breeders and trainer of the race! Ecstatic owner Brian Burnard and trainer Gavin Van Zyl achieved a first and second with Chili Pepper (Solskjaer) and Golden Dynasty (Mullins Bay), followed by Orange Blossom and Classic Illusion – the latter sharing the same dam as Golden Dynasty – a mare aptly named Class Will Sell. Chili Pepper is also part owned by Mr J Hodgson.

A day that is designed to reward and thank the owners of our KZN-bred horses – an additional big thank you to all our Race day sponsors, organisers and to all our owners and trainers who support the KZN Breeders and buy KZN-breds – we look forward to seeing you all at the Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale taking place 4-5 July!